Last Moments and Second Chances
by Dragonball X Avalon
Summary: What were Charlie's thoughts in his final moments? What would happen if he had lived and been given a second chance to act on those thoughts?


"Charlie! Charlie, stay with me! Don't you die on me now!" That was Ray's voice. The guy Charlie had seen as a washed out dirty cop had turned into the best partner he had ever had. Charlie promised if he survived this then Ray would get his badge back because it was way past due.

"C'mon brother. It dosen't end like this." That was Shea. The crazy gang-banger had honestly been the one Charlie had been most worried about bringing on this team. Even more than Erica, he was the flight risk, the one that Charlie feared would either run or stick a knife in his back the first chance he got. Charlie would of smiled if he could. He wasn't usually wrong, but in Shea's case he most definitely was. And he had never been more glad. Shea could have been his brother if they had been born on the same street.

"C'mon Charles, don't die." That was Lowery. A complete pain in Charlie's ass. He was like the cousin that you only saw at family reunions and even then you tried to avoid him. But he was like a fungus, and as much as Charlie hated it the other man had grown on him. Gambling problems aside, he was a decent guy and hands down the best phsyciatrist Charlie had ever known. He hoped Loyd would finally get his head out of his ass and talk to Julianne. Lord knew those two had danced around their attraction for long enough.

Then there was her. Erica Reed. The most dangerous of all of them Charlie included. The Marshall thought he would rather take on a whole prison full of cons than her. But there was also no one in the entire world he would rather have at his back. He had been worried about her temper at first, but she had displayed a measure of control he didn't know was possible. She had impressed him more than she would ever know. They all had.

"Erica." He groaned out, feeling blood fill his mouth. But it was worth it as he saw her race over to him.

"Charlie, you'd better not die on me!"

"Didn't want Shea or Lowrey's ugly mugs...to be the last thing I see." He groaned out, voice barely audible.

"Hang on Charlie, we're going to get help." She told him. He tried to smile, while at the same time he was cursing himself. Here he was, practically on death's door, and he would die without ever admitting the truth. He no longer thought of them as cons. They were friends, family even. And he would never tell them what they meant to him. He could never tell Erica what she meant to him. He could never tell her that he loved her.

Yes, Charlie Duschamp, a Deputy US Marshall was in love with a con. He tried to lift his head, to get one last look at his team, at his family, one last look at Erica's blue eyes. His eyes locked on hers for the briefest of instants, and then Charlie Duschamp knew no more.

He opened his eyes, hearing a machine beeping beside him.

"Hey partner, we thought we'd lost you for a bit." Ray said from across the room.

"We?" He asked, and Ray motioned to the side of the bed where Erica, Loyd and Shea all sat fast asleep in chairs.

"They wouldn't go back to Maybelle until they knew you were okay. So I brought a few chairs and we kept watch."

"How long have I been out?"

"A little over a week. It's good to see you alive Charles."

"Never thought I'd say this, but good to see you too Lowery."

"Hey what about the rest of us?"

"It's never a good day to see you Shea. Erica's the only one of you I can really stand."

"That's kinda obvious Charles. You were muttering her name in your sleep."

Charlie didn't react, but inwardly he was cursing. Sure, Erica had been the subject of more than one enjoyable dream over the last year and a half, but that was it. And now because he went and got himself shot, the entire team probably knew he had the hots for her.

"I'm glad you're okay Charlie." She said, giving him a smile and taking his hand. He smiled in return, thinking that her smile ought to be illegal. It was definitely making his heart beat far too fast, especially if that machine could be believed.

"Lowery, Shea, didn't you need to call somebody or something?" Ray asked, giving them a pointed look.

"Oh yeah. I promised my girl I'd let her know you were okay Charlie. She seems to think you're a good influence or some crap like that."

"And my mother has to be reminded to take her meds." Loyd said, the two leaving with Ray following, saying that all cons had to be watched. In reality Charlie knew they both trusted the three cons not to run, and he highly doubted that Shea's girlfriend gave a damn about him even if he did help save her. Lowery's mother might need to be reminded to take her meds, but Charlie doubted it. No, they were just giving him a few minutes with Erica for which he was grateful.

Now if only it wasn't so awkward.

"Dreaming about me Charlie?" She asked with a smile and he laughed.

"Yeah, I guess so. Better you than Lowery. I think I'd shoot myself if I had to listen to him go on about how Damian shooting me was gonna mess up my head." He told her, and now it was her turn to laugh.

"Your head's already messed up Charlie." She replied softly, her face mere inches from his. He would never be able to know whether it was a conscious choice or not, but Charlie found himself leaning forward, and the next thing Charlie Duschamp knew he was kissing Erica Reed.

**A/N: I was watching the season 2 premiere of Breakout Kings, and I couldn't help but wonder what Charlie was thinking in his last moments. Then the fact that he asked for Erica made me think what if? What if he loved her and just never told her? So this is what came about. Should I write more or leave it as a one-shot?**


End file.
